FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD Darren Cook will make history next week, as the first junior player ever to represent England at both snooker and billiards.

The Hartlepool youngster, who represents Hartlepool Snooker Centre and the Blythholme in local leagues, played for England’s Under-19 billiards team in January against Northern Ireland.

But his ultimate aim has been to get into the England snooker squad, and after a successful season last year, he will be part of a seven-man squad playing for England Under-16s at the Home Internationals from the September 8-14.

The event will also see an International debut for Phil Hartley, who now combines his playing of the game with his refereeing, and he has been chosen as one of five English refs to officiate at the event.

Darren has warmed up superbly for next week, reaching the last 16 of the World Pro-Am event at Pontins last weekend.

He opened up in the first round with a game against Bradford amateur Philip Blackburn, breaks of 57 and 54 helping Darren to a comfortable 4-0 win.

He then took on Welsh youngster Alex Taubman, and again Darren sailed through recording a 4-1 victory.

In the last 32 however, it was to be a much tougher test, up against current world No. 70 Jamie O’Neill, a first-year professional and former European Under-19 champion.

A battling 40-minute first frame saw Darren come through on the pink to go one up, but breaks of 68 and 73 saw Jamie win the next two with ease.

Twelve months ago, this may have been enough to see off Darren, but his game is maturing all the time, and he kept up his composure, and without making any major breaks, he put in the performance of his life to reel off the next three frames and record a terrific 4-2 win against his professional opponent.

This set up a last 16 clash with Chris Norbury, a 21-year-old from Accrington, who was relegated from the professional ranks last season.

Both players struggled on what seemed to be a much tighter table than some of the others, and the first frame seemed as though it would last forever.

Eventually Norbury took a chance on the last red and he went one up, and soon moved into a 3-0 lead.

Cook once again composed himself, and set about what seemed like an impossible task. He pinched one frame on a re-spotted black, then a second, and all of a sudden Norbury was on the defensive.

A superb performance in the sixth frame saw Darren level the match at 3-3, meaning it was now down to a one-frame shoot-out.

An early 43 from Norbury saw him take early advantage, but Darren managed to take the frame level going on to the colours.

Both players missed chances until eventually a good long blue gave Chris the frame, and clinched a 4-3 win.

The event was won by Jamie Cope, who beat Ricky Walden in the final. Other big names in the competition included Ken Doherty, Joe Swail and Dominic Dale.